New Color?

Whattdo you think of this new color?

Dave

Guitar Care Tip #3 - Stands

Can you stand it?

Good question, should you store your guitar
on a stand? Or is it always better stored in
it's case?

Well, I've certainly seen, and experienced
myself, the perils of guitar stands. Even worse,
try to find a good stand for a five-string banjo.
Banjos tend to be very front-heavy and
love to just leap off of guitar stands. And when
that happens, it's not pretty....

I always feel very divided on this issue; the
repairman in me says "keep your guitar in
the case unless you are playing it, it's safest
in there", but the player part of me wants to
have my guitar available at an instant, I may
loose my inspiration to play if I have to
wrestle it out of it's case every time.

I guess it depends on the environment. Do you
have pets, kids, earthquakes, windstorms,
somewhat careless family members who might
whack it with the vacuum cleaner? Or do you have
a safe space, like a separate room where your valued
wood can be safe at all times?

I suggest a few ways to find balance with this
issue. First, if you have only one guitar, I would
tend to be more protective of it. The case is
surely the most safe storage method, and perhaps
using a GOOD stand (be sure to test drive stands
before you purchase one) and use it only when you
are able to keep an eye on it.

You might consider getting a second guitar.
Many players purchase a lower cost guitar to
use as the "bang-around" or "beach-guitar" so
the more valuable instrument can remain in it's
protective case more often. I use a fairly beat up
Taylor Baby guitar as my informal "don't really
care if it gets scratched, dented, cracked, or
whatever" guitar. It sounds good enough
for me to enjoy it, and I can leave it on the couch
and not cry if the Dog jumps up on it and leaves
some pawprints.

I have found that hanging guitars from wall mounted
hooks (you can find these at good music stores) are
quite safe, as long as the geometry of the peghead
sits securely in the hook. I have 4 or 5 hooks in my
music room, and they work fine, except for my Martin
D28V which, over a few days, rotates slowly
out of the hook. If I were to leave it for a week or
so it would probably fall right out and I'd be needing
counseling....

But I do know of situations where guitar owners have
discovered damage to their guitars which were hanging
in rooms that are accessible to other people, especially
kids. So, be very careful unless your music space is
completely off limits to others.

Another note about stands for those of us
who are out gigging; Do not leave instruments on-stage
after the show has ended. It's very easy to be distracted
(selling CDs, signing autographs, kissing babies) while
the sound crew gets impatient and starts pulling
cables. I've had one of my banjos knocked off it's stand
after a gig and the peghead snapped off.

Lucky for me I know a fairly competent repair guy...

At shows end, the "Kids" get "Put to bed" immediately,
and my adoring fans just have to wait. "Family"always
comes first, I tell them.

The last point I'll add is that if you live in
a dry climate, or a region where it gets very
dry, you must hydrate wood guitars and this is
often done most effectively inside hardshell cases.
In my personal situation, I have guitars, mandolins,
banjos; not a LOT of them, but enough where
individual case humidifiers would be a part-time
job to maintain. Since I'm lucky enough to have a
dedicated "music room" I use a large room humidifier
and get it going once my digital hygrometer tells me
the relative humidity has dropped below 40%.
I know it's a pain-in-the-brain, but keeping guitars
nicely hydrated will avoid all kinds of nasty
problems.

So, remember; evaluate the environment that
the guitar lives in, and pick your storage method
accordingly.

Regards,

Dave

Guitar Care Tip #2 - String Gauges

I've talked to a few clients recently about
string gauges, and there seems to be some
confusion. How is it that "Medium" acoustic
guitar strings are actually the heaviest gauge
normally used? And "Light" gauge strings
are actually the second heaviest? Confusing?

Yes, it sure is. The only sure-fire way to understand
string gauge is to look into the numbers. Strings
are measured by their diameter, and this is generally
expressed in inches, more specifically in decimals.
The gauges are most often referenced by the
measurement of the thin E string (1st string) gauge.

First-string gauges for acoustic steel-string guitars
ordinarily go from the heaviest, 0.013" to the
lightest 0.009". Electric guitar strings range
from 0.013" all the way down to the wispy 0.008"
gauge. To simplify,we say these numbers as 013
(oh-thirteen), or 009 (oh-oh-nine), and so on.

Most string manufacturers consider 012 acoustic
strings to be "light". This is somewhat odd, since
the 012 set is the second-from-the-heaviest
gauge. To add to the confusion, 013 gauge is usually
described as being "medium gauge" even though
you'll be hard pressed to find anything heavier
available. The same quirk is present with electric
guitar strings as well.

Here's a general guide to which gauge string is
given which name. Of course there are ALWAYS
exceptions;

013 acoustic, Medium
012 acoustic, Light
011 acoustic, Custom Light
010 acoustic, Extra Light
009 acoustic, Ultra Light

Electric strings seem to carry an even greater
variety of names, however convention generally
is thus:

011 electric, Medium
010 electric, Light
009 electric, Extra Light
008 electric, Super Light

Just when you start to get a grasp of this, you'll
see that there are sets made with in-between
gauges (0.0095 or 0.0105) and there are also sets
which have lighter strings on the trebles, and
heavier strings on the bass side; these are (sometimes)
called Hybrid sets.

Then there's Nickel wound, Steel wound, Phosphor
bronze, 80/20 bronze, Vintage bronze? Coated strings,
not coated strings...Strings in all colors of
the rainbow? Flatwound, roundwound, compression
wound, the list goes on and on....

And how about Nylon strings, which gauges are
commonly given names like "Normal Tension"
and "Hard Tension".

Isn't being a guitarist fun???

Regards,

Dave

Guitar Care Tip #1

A good general rule-of-thumb for guitars of all
types; keep them in an environment which would
be comfortable for a person. Guitars are made of
and made with materials which are temperature, and
humidity sensitive. Protect your guitars from
drastic changes, or extremes, of temperature and
be sure to hydrate during the home heating season,
or if you live in a dry climate area.

Here in the Northeast, we are just entering the dry
season in late September and it will be time again to
remind owners to start hydrating your guitars.

Pay close attention to changes in the guitar's playability
or in it's appearance. Wood grain telegraphing through
finish, action going up or down suddenly, sharp fret
edges, sunken tops on acoustic flat-top guitars are all
likely to be climate induced ills that are often repairable
by returning the instrument to a healthy climate.

Most manufacturers and repair shops recommend about
45-50% relative humidity, and typical temperatures for
humans as a healthy environment for guitar storage.

I will have further posts regarding some of these issues,
feel free to add comments or questions.

Regards,

Dave

Hello folks,

A maybe-not-so-quick history;

In 1986 I found myself joining a band, Southern Rail,
which had aspirations to go full-time, or at least do
around 100 dates per year. This forced me to make
a decision to become a repairman or to continue
my position as store manager at Gordon Music. Since
repair could be done on a part-time schedule, and
I thought I might like repair better, I made the choice
and got started. At that time, Gordon did not have a
repair shop in Worcester.

I gained a lot of experience in the first year or two,
then I left Gordon Music and went out on my own
for a short time. I was subcontracting repairs, some
from Gordon, some from Union Music, and also from
a few other stores in the area. Eventually I started
working at Union Music around 1991 part-time.

Union Music was offering Setup services at that time and
here I learned to perfect my ability to setup guitars. This
has become the basis for everything else I do. We take
guitars that are dirty, and out of adjustment and return
them to clients all spiffy clean and playing great for a
reasonable cost.

All the while I was learning as I went along. I did have a
brief apprenticeship with A.B (Bear) Acker up in Amherst,
MA where he taught me to assemble a Martin 00-18 guitar
kit. But mostly it was figure-it-out-as-I-go.

Meanwhile my music career went pretty well, I
traveled around the U.S. and Canada with Southern
Rail, then left in 1996 to join Salamander Crossing
from Amherst, MA. This group traveled more than Rail
so I remained part-time at Union Music, although as
my skills improved and my reputation evolved more
and more work came in.

Eventually the two jobs started to clash and I found my
personal goals and interests changing. In 1999 my wife,
Paula, and I bought a home, my mother passed away
and I discovered that I didn't want to be out on the road
anymore. I left Salamander Crossing, sadly in 1999.

At that point I decided I would change gears and look
at my repairing career as my primary objective, and play
music as a high-end hobby. In October of 1999 the band
Northern Lights called me to join. At that time they were
only part-time which appealed to me and fit into
my career path. I played with them until 2006.

Another group had formed in 1998, this group was
put together just to perform once for a town common
gig. It was the birth of Blackstone Valley Bluegrass.
This was the first time I was a charter member of a band,
and also the first band I was in with my brother, Bob.
We only played infrequently during the Northern Lights
period, as Bob was also touring internationally with
Colorado-based Front Range.

During this time, I added hours at the repair shop and
eventually worked up to the schedule I maintain today.
After I left NL in 2006 we decided to make Blackstone
Valley Bluegrass our main musical project. Today, I'm
fortunate to have a comfortable balance between work
and play (so to speak).

As I mentioned in a previous post, I believe that my
experiences as a working musician add to my depth as
a repairman. I'll never say that it specifically makes
me a better repairman, but I do believe it helps not only
with the tools-on-guitars part, but also with easier
interaction with other players.

My many years at Union Music have refined me as
a repairman, but also as a businessman. Carl Kamp,
who is Union Music's owner has taught me (mostly by
example, but sometimes by direct instruction) a set
of valuable business ethics, and customer service
skills which form the basis of how the company presents
itself. This combined with my own musical and technical
expertise has resulted in a successful repair business with
a fairly large, loyal customer base. None of this is ever
taken for granted, but instead very much appreciated.

I hold instruments in very high regard, whether a gorgeous
vintage piece, or a bland beginners instrument. Each has it's
value to it's owner and this value must always be respected.
Maybe it's the musician in me, but wonderful music can be
made on any instrument, and if I can make it easier for the
player to make their own music, then I've succeeded.

We also try hard to give a lot of service for a reasonable price.
Sometimes this means I have to do some extra work, or
spend a little more time than planned. I've found that
in the long run, this always is best not only for the client,
but also for me. When customers tell you they got more
than expected you have delivered a good quality service.

Well, this post has become "a lot of post for a reasonable price"
so I'll wrap it up here. As always I welcome your comments,
or suggestions.

Regards,

Dave

Hi again,

I think it might be helpful to explain how I
became involved with guitar repairing. My dad,
Harold, is a brilliant person, and very adept at
all things mechanical. Even though he and my
mother were not musically inclined, nor is my
older brother Jonathan, I found an interest in
the guitar at age 7. This must have been from
watching Chet Atkins and Roy Clark on TV, but
I don't specifically remember.

Where my musical abilities came from is still a
mystery to me, however I'm quite sure that any
mechanical skills I have must have been inherited
from my dad. Growing up I always enjoyed helping
him fix the lawnmower, the car, the washing machine
restoring the old house; whatever he was working on,
I found it interesting. Tools became nearly as
fascinating as musical instruments.

I suppose it was a natural evolution for me as I
was trying to eek out a career as a full time bluegrass
musician based in Massachusetts, that my second
profession would be in repair. I tried working in sales and
management (in music stores of course) however I did
not do well in retail. Eventually I decided to start doing
really basic fixes (replacing tuners, restringing, adjusting
truss rods, and the like) and this evolved over a few years
into performing more advanced work. Back in the late
1980's there were not as many sources for repair techniques
as there are today, but I did benefit from Don Teeter's
dated, but fine guitar repair manuals, as well as other
sources I could find.

Many clients were very patient, and understanding with
me in those early years as I more or less learned the trade
doing a lot of repairs by improvisation and feel. At times
is was pretty much like walking around blindfolded; just
reacting to whatever I bumped into. Sometimes it's still
like that, but I was always guided by my musician's sense,
and the mechanical abilities my dad taught me.

Experience can be a good teacher if you pay attention
and always look at yourself as a work-in-progress.
I find it personally inspiring to always look at tasks,
even the simple ones, as techniques I'm still trying to
improve upon. I believe the learning never ends.

It's also noteworthy that there are now a lot of great
repair websites, books, and videos readily available.
These can be extremely helpful, however I believe
strongly that you must jump right in and develop your own
personal senses to do any avocation to your potential.

My next post will discuss more specifics on how I decided
to structure my repair shop. There are some general
principles with which the business is guided and I'll
share them with you in my next contribution to the blog.

Regards,

Dave

Monday, September 14, 2009

Here's a photo of me trying to figure out
where this neck goes.

DD